We should give Russia a chance - White House

Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Trump, said Thursday the Trump administration is weighing the return of two Russian diplomatic compounds because it wants to give "collaboration and cooperation a chance."

"We want to give collaboration and cooperation a chance," Gorka told CNN. "The fact is we may not share the same philosophy, we may not share the same type of statesman view of the world but the fact is there are some issues of common concern."

The Obama administration seized two Russian diplomatic compounds — one in Maryland and the other in New York — in late December as punishment for Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Obama said then the Russian government was using the two properties for "intelligence-related purposes."

But the Trump administration is considering giving the properties back to Moscow.

Gorka said the White House may decide to return the compounds if the administration sees "acts of good faith" from Russia and cited the recent ceasefire in Russia as an example.

"If we see good faith, remember more than 400,000 people have been killed in Syria. That is horrific. If we can see acts of good faith come out of the Kremlin with regards to things such as a ceasefire, then perhaps there is a chance for what [Secretary of State] Rex Tillerson wants to see happen, which is an improvement in relations between our two capitals," he said.

A number of senators, both Republicans and Democrats, are urging Trump not to return the pair of compounds to the Russian government.